New Telegraph

Beyond seeking for FIFA U-17, U-20 World Cup tickets

For an average follower of football in Nigeria, the pedigree of the country in age-grade competitions is not in doubt across the world. Generally, Nigeria is blessed with abundant talents across all sports disciplines but that of football is more prevalent because not much is needed to play the game.

The poor and the rich can play football if the talent is there. Same cannot be said of tennis and some other individual sports in which the cost of kits and equipment alone could stop a kid from engaging in the sport. In 1985, it was a shock as the country’s U-16 team went out to China unnoticed only to return with the FIFA Kodak World Cup for that cadre. Nigeria has won four more titles of the FIFA World Cup for the U-17 category between then and now. After FIFA changed the age grade from U-16 to U-17, the Golden Eaglets emerged champions in 1993, 2007, 2013 and 2015. It is interesting to emphasise that with five titles, Nigeria is the number one in the world in the U-17 all-time rankings with Brazil coming second with four titles.

In the U-20 cadre, the Flying Eagles are yet to win the FIFA World Cup but the team has appeared in the final twice, settling for silver, and the team has also won bronze once. The country’s U-20 team has however won the African title a record seven times. It’s all about the age cadre national football teams in Year 2023 as the African title will be competed for in Algeria for the U-17 team and in Egypt for the U-20 team.

The FIFA World Cup representatives for the continent will emerge in February (U-20) just as the U-17 representatives will emerge in March. Age-grade football is not easy to manage but not many are aware of this. It is a developmental process in which winning is not always the objective. FIFA, the world’s football ruling body, expects every national affiliated country to use its age-grade teams as feeders to the senior national team.

But how many countries are doing that especially in Africa and particularly in Nigeria? After being crowned champions of the WAFU B U-20 Championship in Niger Republic in May 2022, the Flying Eagles, under Coach Ladan Bosso have been drawn to play hosts Egypt, Senegal and Mozambique in Group A of the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations taking place between February 18 and March 12. Four African representatives are expected to pick tickets to the FIFA World U-20 World Cup finals billed for Indonesia later in the year. It is going to be a tough one because other countries are fast catching up in age-grade football. Also, five-time world champions, the Golden Eaglets, are drawn in a tricky Group that includes Morocco, South Africa and Zambia in order to be eligible for a spot at this year’s FIFA U17 World Cup finals in Peru. Interestingly, the captain of Nigeria’s U-16 team at the China ’85 tournament, Nduka Ugbade, is the head coach of the current U-17 team and he believes the modern science of the game would see the team through all the way. The build-up processes of both teams have been very impressive with quality friendly games in preparation for the continental playoffs for the World Cup finals.

It was impressive that the Super Eagles Manager, Jose Perseiro, was at the training camp of both teams because some of this lads could break into the senior teams sooner than expected. It is however important to state that whatever outcome from Egypt and Senegal, these two teams are African champions at the WAFU B level and the players should be well monitored for proper transition. Austin Eguavoen and his men in the technical department of the federation should set up the machinery on how to get talented lads good enough to join the Super Eagles in the next one or two years. The results from the forthcoming events should be secondary, rather, the development of these players and their understanding of the game should be paramount. The target at the African meets should be a ticket to the World Cup and to achieve better understanding together for the global event.

Nigeria should be working towards reaping from her dominance in the age-grade cadre at global stage over the years. For example, where are the academies? Where are the training and development centres for the young ones to start from? Answers to these and more will help to achieve a smooth transition and consistency in the development of the youth.

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